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Whiteley on Trial

It was a cause célèbre: the biggest case of alleged art fraud to come before the Australian criminal justice system, a $4.5 million sting drawing in one of the country's most gifted and ultimately tragic artists, Brett Whiteley, a heroin addict who died alone in 1992.

It started with suspicions raised about artworks being produced in the style of Whiteley in a Melbourne art restorer's studio. Secret photographs were taken as the paintings took form.

A jury finds two men guilty of faking Whiteleys, but a year later the appeal bench sensationally acquits them. The paintings are returned to their owners, leaving the legitimacy of the artworks in limbo.

Whiteley on Trial investigates this remarkable case and exposes the avarice of the art world, the disdain for connoisseurship and the fragility of authenticity.

It was a cause célèbre: the biggest case of alleged art fraud to come before the Australian criminal justice system, a $4.5 million sting drawing in one of the country's most gifted and ultimately tragic artists, Brett Whiteley, a heroin addict who died alone in 1992.

It started with suspicions raised about artworks being produced in the style of Whiteley in a Melbourne art restorer's studio. Secret photographs were taken as the paintings took form.

A jury finds two men guilty of faking Whiteleys, but a year later the appeal bench sensationally acquits them. The paintings are returned to their owners, leaving the legitimacy of the artworks in limbo.

Whiteley on Trial investigates this remarkable case and exposes the avarice of the art world, the disdain for connoisseurship and the fragility of authenticity.

“

This gripping book by arts journalist Gabriella Coslovich has more twists and turns than an episode of Poirot ... Whiteley on Trial is a gripping art-world thriller set in this heady milieu, meticulously told and intriguing for all sorts of reasons. The case and the book have certainly shaken up the art world.”

Phil Brown, Courier Mail

“

impeccably researched ... [Coslovich] doggedly follows leads, conducts her own research into the provenance of the paintings, and, at times, seems more across the facts than the courtroom barristers.
”

ABR

“

The shady world of art dealing is fully exposed in this brilliant piece of writing that will interest true-crime enthusiasts, Brett Whiteley fans and anyone interested in the legal process. Wendy Whiteley’s cameo appearance adds glamour to the story. ★★★★★”

Books + Publishing

“

It reads like a mystery novel … well framed.”

The Herald Sun

Gabriella Coslovich

Gabriella Coslovich is a Melbourne journalist with more than 20 years experience, including 15 years at The Age newspaper where she specialised in arts writing and developed an extensive network of contacts in the arts world. She was writing about the three dubious Whiteley paintings five years before the case reached the criminal court system. Art dealer Peter Gant sued The Age for defamation for her efforts—the case was resolved confidentially. She was also the…

In this episode of Australian True Crime podcast, Gabriella Coslovic tells us about the art world court drama that's begging to be made into a movie, in which colourful characters and legal loopholes abound.

Gabriella Coslovic talks about Australia’s biggest alleged art fraud: three large impressions of Sydney Harbour, supposedly created by Brett Whiteley. Who painted them, and why, remains a hotly contested issue in the court of public opinion.

Praise

"The shady world of art dealing is fully exposed in this brilliant piece of writing that will interest true-crime enthusiasts, Brett Whiteley fans and anyone interested in the legal process. Wendy Whiteley's cameo appearance adds glamour to the story."

Books+Publishing

"Coslovich cleverly weaves elements of the story together until it reads like a mystery novel."

Jeff Maynard — Herald Sun

"Her sharp, incisive analysis and her clarity of style takes the reader on a journey that is a courtroom thriller as well as an examination of a legal system that can seem impatient."